Chris Maynard

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This solo exhibition of new work by Chris Maynard will feature his transfixing compositions made entirely of feathers. Maynard is inspired by the regenerative process of molting, explaining that “as birds grow new feathers each year and push out the old, the new ones become exact replicas of form and pattern.” He elaborates upon this natural sequence in his artistic practice; collecting the naturally shed feathers and giving them new life within the narrative scenes of his work. Using surgical tools, Maynard carefully cuts the feathers into positive and negative forms, transfiguring raw material into fine art. Fittingly, these configurations unfold as fable-like origin stories explaining how certain birds came to be, the genesis of their various names, flight patterns, or even eating habits. The artist introduces a wide spectrum of avian creatures, ranging from a city pigeon to the Eurasian jay. Some of Maynard’s works take a playful, humorous tone, while others feel poetic, symbolic, or even parietal.